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W ffi I, -^l lXi',; il:-':il;ll lT,iJil;i.":^.a great show starts with a great script! Screenwriters writescripts meant to be fllmed.In this badge, put ail your viewingexperience to good use-let it inspire you as you try yourhand at writing for the big (or small) screen.

Steps

1. Decide what makes a good script good

2. Come up with an idea for a story3. Get to know your characters4. Build the plot5. Write a 12-page script-and share it!

Purpose

When l've earned this badge, l'll know how to create a

screenplay for a show or movie.

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STEP

I Decide what makesI a good script good

ln thisstep, thinkaboutthe movies ortelevision showsyou lovemost. Then examinethemforcluesas to what makesthem work.Look beyond the actors, and focus instead on the characters'words, the scenery changes, and the situations the screenwriterputs the characters through-and how all three elementsworktogether.

GHOICES - DO ONE:

n Watch one movie or three shows in your favorite genre. (A genre

is a category like adventure, comedy, or drama.) Take notes on how at

least three elements, such as the ones mentioned above, make thingsentertaining. Refer to them for inspiration while working on yourown script.

FoR MoRE FUN: Analyze one movie or three shows you don'tftndentertaining. Looking at what doesn't work can be as he1pful as

concentrating on what does. If you could remake a fllm or show to make itmore entertaining, what would you do differently? Add a talking cat? Makethe main character obsessed with chocolate?

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n Host a script-dissection partywith friends. Watch one movie or three

shows in the same genre, then discuss and write down what everyone likes

and doesn't like about the script.

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n Read two scripts. What better way to learn the craft of writing for thescreen than by reading a real script? Look for the scripts ofyour favoriteshows or movies, or scripts from shows you've never seen. Ask a librarianfor help, or team up with an adult to look online. You can also findexamples in books about screenwriting!

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STEP

, , come up with ans = idea for a story

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Most tales have a beginning that introduces the situation, a middlethat builds on the story until it reaches a climax, and an endingthat shows how everything turns out. Before you can write any ofthese pieces, you'need a basic idea to build your script around.

cHorcEs - DooNE:

Look into your own life. Have you had an adventure that could be made

into a movie? Did something hysterically funny happen at school? Is there

a great family story your relatives tell every time they get together? Any of

these could be the seed of a great script.

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Add to a story you already know. Choose a fairy tale, book, or nursery

rhyme and tell how the characters got there or what happened later. Howdid the old woman end up living in a shoe? After Dorothy, who was thenext adventurer in the land of Oz?

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n Play Story Maker. Divide at least z4 index cards or slips of paper into twopiles, one for characters and one for situations/settings. Write an idea on

each (you can start with the ideas in the chart). Then draw two from thecharacter pile and one from the situations/settings pile and see if theyspark any story ideas.

Characters : Situations/Settings :

coffee barista taking a driving test

storm chaser boarding an airplane

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: parade pooperscoopergetting a speeding ticket. ^l^^^-t^^t^- t^^^^f,,t .; cheerleaderhopeful : ...... :.. . .:...-.'-.-.-......L................ :

checking into a hotel ina foreign country

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playing in a dodgeballtournament

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Protagonistsand AntagonistsProtagonis*The maincharacter, good or bad. Theirstory moves the action along.

Antagonist: The person orsituation who gets in theway of the protagonist'sdreams or schemes.

Some protagonists, like NancY

Drew or Wonder Woman,have a new antagonist witheach adventure. And someantagonists are nonhuman,such as diseases, bad habits,or naturaldisasters.

Examples:) Harry Potter and

Voldemort

> Red RidingHood andthe Wolf

) Student athlete andinsomnia

) Superman and LexLuthor

> Climberand Mt. Everest

Name:

STEP

4D Get ro Knowf, your charactersWhatever your story idea, you'll need a prota$onist and an

antagonist. Get to know them by writing a one-page description ofeach. Use one of these choices to add details, from their hobbiesto their jobs to their postures and the sound of their voices. The

boxes atthe bottom of the page might helpyou get started.

cHolcEs- Do oNE:

n Spend some time people watching. Take notes on what people wear,

how they act, and what they say at school, the library, a coffee shop, or a

park. Then, choose three or four details from your observations to make

part of your characters'personalities and life stories.

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tr Exagigerate details about people you're familiar with. Perhaps you

know someone who loves red; maybe your character wears only red velvet

suits. Or your local newscaster speaks loudly-your character might insist

on speaking through a megaphone wherever she goes.

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n Mix and match. Take three aspects of people or characters you know and

combine them to round out your characters. Your protagonist could have

a celebrity's curly hair, a friend's dream of being a pilot, and a neighbor's

habit of eating a peanut butter sandwich every day at noon.

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What the character wants:

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Distinguishing details:

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\r, 4fn*o#*uYou have a story idea and characters. Now you need a plot! Aplot is an outline of the situations your protaglonist will face. Aprotagonist's circumstances generally grow more dire as thestory unfolds toward the climax, where the protagonist facestheir most difficult challenge. (That challenge usually involvessomething the antagonist said or did!) The chart on page 6 willhelp you with this step.

cHotcEs - DooNE:

Fill out the worksheet using your imagination. Challenge yourself tofind all the plot twists in the creative corners of your mind.

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Find your plot twists in the news. How are protagonists and antagonists

acting and reacting in newspapers or magazines? Collect three editions,

and hunt through their pages for plot ideas.

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Use plot twists from a familiar story. Think about the twists from other

stories. ln Romeo and luliet, Romeo misses a very important message fromluliet. In Up, aboy accidentally ends up in a flying house. You could even

pull twists from two or three different stories.

lf your story idea is from real life, you'll want to make sure it hasenough plot points to make an interestingscreenptay.

Remember, your story is meant for the screen. So you'll want tothink about what kinds of conflicts would be interesting to watch,notjust read about.

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What the character wants:

Distinguishing details:

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STEP

E write a l2-Pog!e scriPt-v r, and share it!

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!t'stime to puteverythingtogether! Screenplays include not onlydialotue, butalso descriptions of action that clarify howthe sceneis intended to lookon-screen. Seethe example belowforwhatdetails to include: Then pick one choice and write your script.

cHotcEs - DooNE:

n Work solo. Some writers prefer to work their magic alone! If that's you,

share your script when you're finished, perhaps by reading it aloud at a

group meeting. You could ask other girls to read the different parts.

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n Work with a friend. Two minds can take creativity to a whole new level-and it's fun to try out dialogue as you go along. If your friend is another

Cadette earning her Screenwriter badge, try to write a 21-page script.

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tr Workwith a mentor. Perhaps a playwright, director, or actor; an English

or drama teacher; or a fi.lm or drama student at a local college would be

willing to help? Ask your mentor to give you feedback on your pages.

The Screenplay EormScreenplays are written in a very precise format that includesinformation for the actor, the director, and the camera people.

AGTION:Describewhat'shappeningon-screen.

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Capitalize andcenter theCHARACTERnameovertheirdialogue.

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llake a movie! Cast actors and

film yourscreenplay.(You can learn how in the

Digital Movie Maker badge.)

SLUG LINES tel! where and when each scene takes place. Use a newone whenever time or location changes. "lNT' is used for interiorscenes, and "EXT" for exterior. Time is usually DAY or NIGHT.

CapitalizeSOUND EFFECTSto be added tothe sound track.

lndent DIALOGUE to setit apart from the action.

Put STAGE DIRECTIONS forthe actor in parentheses.

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.Hdd the Badge toYour ]ourneyFor step 2, come up with an idea for a story about

navigating the maze of relationship issues in your life.

Some of your characters could then try the skills you're

exploring in aMaze! to get through the plot twists intheir lives.

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i tlow that t've earned this badge, !'m prepared to give service by: j:1 i.

.li o Teaching a younger girl about the plot hrrr_-___itl{1

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elements of her favorite show

o Sharing my screenplay with myschool's theater department

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